Terat
'''Terat, '''often addressed by her subordinates as The Immortal and Loathsome Terat, is a bizarre, highly intelligent entity that rules over a small Technomage cult known as Terat's Guard. With her loyal Nephilim servants, she travels around the Milky Way Galaxy, collecting various pieces of alien technology for an unknown purpose. Background Terat traces her existence back to the legendary Nrri, starting her life as a part of Nrri that, through some unknown process, achieved sentience many millennia ago. Nrri's excessive augmentation is most likely the cause of this sudden change, but whether it was attempting to create a new lifeform within itself, or created Terat by accident, is unknown. Whatever the reason, Terat and Nrri have grown to mutually loathe each other, each claiming that the other posed an immediate threat to their own safety. This eventually drove Nrri to forcibly eject Terat from its body and cast her out into the void, forbidding her from ever returning. This would have been the end for Terat, but luckily for her, a group of Nephilim sympathizers from the Maltucpi Cadre were kind enough to rescue her, taking her aboard a spaceship and swearing allegiance to their new leader. Terat's Guard had officially been created, and Terat was now free to explore the galaxy through the aid of her new helpers. Since her rise to sentience, Terat has convinced her followers to seek out and acquire any alien technology she deems useful, and, being absolutely devoted to her, they agree. Though her followers are few, their numbers grew slightly with time, and have been spotted all over the explored galaxy, as far south as the Perseus Arm and as far north as the Sagittarius Arm. Terat herself mostly explores the eastern portions of the Perseus Arm, far from the reach of the Maltucpi Cadre. Though Nrri is more or less ageless, Terat herself is comparatively very young, created just after the conclusion of the First Cluster War. Like the Maltucpi Cadre, Terat and her followers lost most of their influence during the Second Vuokra Invasion, but Terat herself managed to live on. Appearance and Abilities Unlike Nrri, who's form has changed countless times over the course of history, Terat's form has remained mostly consistent during her lifespan. She takes the form of a large oval-shaped object, about 8 ft (2.4 m) in height. There are slight bumps and irregularities in her body, and it appears to be comprised of a dark red metallic substance that has the elasticity and softness of human flesh. There are dark black holes in her body, which remain completely shrouded in darkness even when a light is shone directly inside of them. Occasionally, a wispy, highly-corrosive purple gas seeps from these holes, which, based on Terat's reaction, is a very common and benign occurrence. Terat moves through levitation, and can phase through solid matter at will. She can use her powers to move and phase other objects in a similar fashion, as well, though nothing larger than herself (so she is incapable of, say, tossing a spaceship aside in combat). She has an unprecedented amount of resistance to damage, and can survive even the strongest weapons that have been used against her. How she performs any of these unique abilities is completely unknown, even to her followers. Terat is always accompanied by a unique Nephilim servant she refers to as her "interpreter." Terat's interpreter is unique among Nephilim for several reasons. Her skin the same color as Terat's surface, a dark red, and she has a distinct feminine body shape, very different from the androgynous human forms most Nephilim assume. In her telepathic communications, the interpreter's voice is described as being feminine even by races that do not have any female sex associated with them. The interpreter is always bound to Terat via a mechanical tube that connects into the back of the Nephilim's head, and the back of Terat's body. This tube allows the interpreter to read the thoughts of Terat and communicate them to other people through her Nephilim telepathic communication abilities. Many questions have been raised as to the nature of the connection Terat has to her interpreter. The interpreter behaves as an individual entity, saying that she "speaks on behalf of Terat" and is still capable of independent thought. When questions are raised about her history with Terat and how she came to be an interpreter, she refuses to provide any answers, claiming that such information is "completely irrelevant." Terat herself also refuses to enlighten others about her interpreter, leaving the unique Nephilim's origins a mystery. It is known that the interpreter, whether through her mental connections or some other method, shares some of Terat's abilities, able to phase through matter and survive massive damage just like her superior. Personality and Behavior Terat is a far cry from the disturbingly eccentric Nrri she was spawned from. She is silent and enigmatic, taking what she wants through any means necessary. Though she has a tendency to be ruthless, Terat is extremely careful in her interactions with others. She understands that her cult's power is limited, and that direct combat is usually not the most effective way to acquire things. This has made her rely more on coercion and careful trading in order to swindle unsuspecting star travelers out of their resources/technology. She has also had a hand in crafting the rumors that surround her, which only aid in her dealings with others. Vague comments passed through Nee's Terminal and other galactic meeting places convince many people that Terat is an unbelievably powerful entity, capable of tearing spaceships apart with the power of her mind. There is little truth to these rumors, of course, but since they usually benefit her, Terat has allowed them to spread and evolve, adding to her influence. When she isn't commanding her minions or interacting with travelers, Terat is usually upgrading herself with the technology she acquires. Much like Nrri's augmentation process, none have ever discovered how Terat integrates new technology into her form or how it benefits her in any noticable way. Since Terat and her interpreter are literally inseparable, the interpreter also doubles as Terat's "mechanic," helping her upgrade herself and managing collected technology. This task is handled solely by the interpreter, and no other members of Terat's Guard have ever bore witness to their leader's augmentation process in person. Sometimes, Terat and her interpreter will enter a period of inactivity, another similarity she shares with Nrri. These "godsleeps," as Nrri calls them, are apparently very important, as they give Terat an opportunity to fine-tune her form and check over the technology she's upgraded herself with. Due to her smaller size and simpler form, Terat's godsleeps are much shorter than Nrri's, usually lasting only a century or so. Her interpreter is also completely comatose during these periods, and seems to exhibit no abnormal symptoms from such long periods of inactivity. When Terat enters a godsleep, her cult usually becomes much less active, and is rarely seen by interstellar travelers. Since these is no consistency as to when Terat enters a godsleep, however, there is no way for travelers to predict what time is best to be traveling through territory occupied by Terat's Guard, making contact with her cult very sporadic. Category:Characters Category:Steel Epoch